Dreaming of the Dakar

After so much screwdrivering and wrenching (and possibly swearing) it was time to take the Africa Twin for another ride and see how it behaved with its new, pretty-much-the-same-as-the-old, exhaust.  I actually needed to do some shopping, and I wanted to check out our shiny new traffic lights, and hang it all, I just needed to get away for a bit and not think about work.  And perhaps decide if I really am done with the bike after all this time.

I encountered one new set of roadworks and one set that quite honestly seems to have been in place for about two years, I rumbled into town and in the Grassmarket encountered a gathering of Vespa riders, at least a dozen of them.  I rumbled and pop!-bang!-pop!'d down through the Cowgate, making tremendous noise as I passed under the arches of George IV Bridge and the South Bridge, and headed back out of town to stop by at Mum and Dad's for a big cup of tea, and then why not, another big cup of tea.  By late evening only one supermarket was still open, so I took the city bypass for a short stretch and opened the taps to reach the dizzying speed of about 65mph.  Let's just say I need better earplugs* and Fidra's turbine has spoiled me.

Shopping obtained I rode straight home, shared a few quick messages with bestie, and fell into bed.

* like the posh moulded ones I already have and wasn't wearing? A longer story.